Silicosis Claims Rise in the UK as Manchester Law Firm Reports Surge in Enquiries from Stone Workers

WE Solicitors LLP, a Manchester-based industrial disease law firm established in 2001, has reported a significant increase in silicosis-related enquiries from stone masons and construction workers across the North West of England. The firm, which operates exclusively on a no win, no fee basis, says it is actively expanding its silicosis claims practice in response to what it describes as an emerging occupational health crisis in the United Kingdom.

HSE data published in November 2024 shows 35 new silicosis cases were assessed for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit in 2023, rising from 30 in 2022 and 25 in 2021. The HSE itself acknowledges that both IIDB and THOR reporting schemes substantially underestimate the true incidence of silicosis in Great Britain. An estimated 600,000 UK workers are exposed to respirable crystalline silica dust each year, and the HSE describes silica as the second biggest occupational risk to construction workers after asbestos.

The concern has intensified following the identification of the first UK cluster of silicosis cases linked to artificial engineered stone at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London in mid-2023. By 2025, a further 21 cases had been identified according to the British Occupational Hygiene Society. Australia banned the manufacture and use of engineered stone in 2024 following a similar surge in cases. The UK has not yet introduced equivalent restrictions, though the HSE published new guidance for engineered stone installers in January 2025.

The firm is currently representing a 40-year-old stone mason diagnosed with silicosis after years of occupational exposure. Liability has been admitted by the former employer and damages may exceed a six-figure sum.

Steve Evans, Senior Partner at WE Solicitors, said: "We are seeing people in their thirties and forties coming to us with life-changing diagnoses. These are skilled tradespeople who were never properly warned about the dust they were breathing in every day. Silicosis is irreversible, progressive, and devastating for the families involved. Our job is to make sure they receive the compensation they are entitled to and that employers are held accountable for the conditions that caused this damage."

WE Solicitors LLP holds APIL and PLNA membership and has over 24 years of experience in industrial disease litigation. The firm offers free initial consultations on a freephone number, 0800 294 3065, and handles all silicosis and industrial disease claims on a no win, no fee basis.
Links (5):

https://wesolicitors.com
https://www.hse.gov.uk/lung-disease/silicosis.htm
https://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/assets/docs/pneumoconiosis-and-silicosis.pdf
https://www.linkedin.com/company/we-solicitors-llp/
https://www.facebook.com/wesolicitors

WE Solicitors LLP, Ram Mill Business Centre Gordon Street, Oldham OL9 9RH

WE Solicitors began its journey on 1 September 2001, founded by three partners who shared a simple but powerful vision: to deliver clear, compassionate, and accessible legal advice to individuals in need. Operating from a single, modest office, the firm quickly earned a reputation for its personal approach, attention to detail, and dedication to achieving the best outcomes for clients.

As the years passed, WE Solicitors grew in both experience and recognition. Our team developed specialist expertise in personal injury, industrial disease, professional negligence, and other areas where clients often face some of the most challenging moments in their lives. Through every case, our core values remained the same : integrity, empathy, and an unwavering commitment to justice.

Today, more than two decades later, we are proud to continue our work from a modern, upgraded single office, now led by the founding partners David Wingate and Steve Evans, who continue to uphold the founding ethos of the firm. While the structure of the partnership has evolved, the heart of WE Solicitors has not. We remain firmly rooted in our belief that every client deserves respect, clarity, and exceptional representation.

From our beginnings in 2001 to the present day, WE Solicitors has helped thousands of clients secure the support, answers, and compensation they deserve. Our history is defined not by size, but by the strength of our values and the trust our clients place in us : something we strive to honour every single day.

This release was published on openPR.